Recurring Series

Currently in July

Loving… our blog book club! Engie had the fabulous idea to re-read the beloved classic, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and invited all of us to join her! Every Monday, she publishes a discussion post and it’s been so fun interacting with other people who are reading right along with me. It’s interesting to see what is sticking out to other people that may not be sticking out to me! I also love the very slow reading pace that Engie set up – just about 50 pages a week – so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming.

Loathing… that my plantar fasciitis pain is back. It went away for a few months due to nothing I did at all, but I’ve started having that sharp heel pain on my right foot again. I’m wearing my plantar fasciitis slippers around the house again, which definitely helps! I also need to start doing strengthening exercises for my feet, but I’ve been lazy about that.

Reading… my dear friend Mikaela’s book, which is about her daughter’s cancer journey. She spent the past 8 or so months working hard on the book during our weekly writing sessions, and I was so delighted to be one of her first readers. Right now, she’s in the editing stages and figuring out the best way to format her book, and I just can’t wait to see the final product when it’s ready. She has such a beautiful way with words and I think this is a book that will touch a lot of people.

Watching… Abbott Elementary. I watched and loved season 1 and wanted to wait until the entirety of season 2 had been released on Hulu to catch up. I’m 6 episodes in and loving it so much!

Listening to… Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). I came into my Swiftie fandom around the time she released 1989 and have barely listened to her earlier albums. But since she re-released this album, I decided to give it a listen and it’s such a vibe. I’m still trying to decide which one of the new songs she added to the album is my favorite!

Anticipating… taking a blogging break in August. I’ve done these month-long blogging breaks in the past and they always rejuvenate me. I’ve been feeling a little burned out with blogging lately, so I think I need this time away for a bit to feel excited about blogging again.

Thinking about… climate change. There have been so many news stories about record-breaking heat and rising ocean temperatures and climate change panic. Are we too late to save the planet? I don’t want to think about that. But things feel more and more dire as each year passes. And it feels hopeless because the people who are in charge aren’t listening to the scientists who have been telling us for decades that things need to change. It’s scary and frustrating.

Buying… new skincare products. I needed a new nighttime moisturizer as well as a retinol serum. I have yet to find a nighttime moisturizer I love, so here’s hoping this one from Neutrogena makes me a believer. I’m also trying out CeraVe’s retinol serum to see how I like it. (I really need to get a prescription retinoid because that’s the gold standard for anti-aging treatment, but ugh, I am just too lazy to go to a dermatologist for this.)

Grateful… for the growth of Silent Book Club. We had nearly 50 people at our last meeting! We usually have 15-20 people so this was a huge increase. It was mostly due to a viral video talking about different Silent Book Club chapters around the country, which our chapter was a part of, and it caused our group to double in size. How crazy is that? It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest, but I’m happy that the group is growing, too!

What are you currently loving, watching, and anticipating?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 95)

(Sorry, friends. She wouldn’t take a photo without showing her chewed-up gum. At least it’s just gum?!)

1) I mentioned this on the post I published on Wednesday, but I am a candidate for traditional LASIK. On Tuesday, I had a very long consultation (3 hours!) where I went through a myriad of eye tests to see if I was a candidate. I think I did four or five tests using those machines you see at a traditional eye doctor’s office (where you put your chin in the little notch and your forehead against the bar). I would have to hold my eyes wide open for 5-8 seconds so the machine could gather all of the data it needed. That’s a long time to hold your eyes wide open! And then I did some traditional tests, like reading a line of letters on a wall. I also found out that my left eye is my dominant eye, during a really cool test that kinda blew my mind. (Try it!) My left eye has always been the stronger eye, so that makes sense.

After all of those tests, I met briefly with one of the eye doctors who was happy to report that I am a strong candidate for LASIK because I have really thick corneas. (I got complimented on my corneas a lot this day, lol.) I was worried that I might not be a candidate for traditional LASIK due to my strong astigmatism, but she said it wasn’t bad enough to warrant PRK. Hooray for that! I really want to schedule a surgery, but I need to figure out the finances first. Right now, until the end of the year, the surgery center is offering $1,000 off LASIK. I also get a 15% discount with my vision insurance, so that brings the cost of the surgery down by $1,500. I would probably have the finance part of the surgery, which I’m willing to do, especially since there is a no-interest option if paid off within 18 months. So I’m just noodling over my options right now, and since I’m always someone who asks “HOW DID THEY AFFORD THAT?!” when someone has an expensive (elective) procedure or goes on a really fancy vacation, I wanted to be honest about how I’m trying to figure this out myself.

2) I had a dental cleaning this week, and I would personally like to slap Past Stephany for scheduling a dentist appointment at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday. That’s a) too early in the morning and b) ruins my breakfast, since I usually get the fluoride treatment, which always makes me feel like I can’t eat for hours afterward so I don’t and then I get ravenously hungry. (It’s a me thing. I know I’m allowed to eat.) But the good news is that I didn’t have any cavities! I am one of the people who hit the genetic lottery when it comes to my teeth, and I didn’t really get cavities until I was in my late 20s. And now it seems like I’ve had a cavity during every visit! I changed some of my routines (always getting the fluoride treatment, using an antibacterial mouthwash specifically focused on improving gum health) so I’m hoping that’s the reason I was cavity-free this visit. My dentist recommended that I start using a Waterpik for flossing since I have a small mouth (ugh), so I need to just bite the bullet and buy one finally. But all in all, a smooth dental cleaning and I was finished within 40 minutes. (Much better than the experiences some of you guys have had at the dentist! I wish your appointments were as easy as mine!)

3) This week on the Currently Reading podcast, the group got together to play a round of “Would You Rather.” One of the questions posed was: Would you rather have to reread the book you hated the most once a month or never be able to reread your favorite books ever again? Of course, all of them chose the latter option, but the more interesting discussion was the book everyone said would be their most-hated book they’d have to read for this category. (It broke my heart when Kaytee said that Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng was hers. I loved that book!) I’ve been thinking about what my book would be, and I think I’d have to give it to Pride & Prejudice, which I know will make so many people gasp. I don’t enjoy the classics. I find them hard to read (which, yes, makes me feel stupid for saying). And I just really do not enjoy Jane Austen novels. If I had to reread Pride & Prejudice every month? I would stop reading.

4) I have been meaning to share this adorable routine between Eloise and my mom. As most of you know, my mom and I Facetime constantly. Like, multiple times a day is our norm. (We started during the pandemic. It’s our thing.) I started noticing that whenever I was on Facetime with my mom and I was either sitting at the dining room table or at my desk and had the phone propped up against something, Eloise would stop whatever she was doing and run over to the table to either sit near me while I was on the phone or just roam back and forth in front of me so she was on screen. A few days ago, Eloise had been sleeping on my bed for a few hours and didn’t wake up even when I went into the room to put things away, so I decided to test out my theory that Eloise loves when my mom Facetimes. I called my mom and sure enough, not even 15 seconds after she answered, there was Eloise, running out of the room and hopping on the table to greet my mom. Is that not the most precious thing ever?

5) I got to have dinner with Mikaela and her family this week, and it was so wonderful! When I arrived at the restaurant, they were already seated and when Olive saw me, she gasped and said, “Stephany!” and then demanded that I sit next to her. What a friggin joy this girl is! (If you remember, Olive was the baby who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at 13 months and has beaten every single odd set in front of her. She’s two years post-treatment and all of her scans have come back completely clean.) I enjoyed sitting down with my favorite tiny humans and chatting with Mikaela and her husband about life in general. Their daughter, Eleni, who is 17 months, did not stop eating the entire time we were there. That girl can put away food better than any kid I’ve seen! Anyway, it was a delightful evening and I’m glad I made the time for it.

What book would you choose as your most hated book? I want to know!

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Time I woke up: 6:30 a.m.

First thing I did upon waking: I went right over to my workspace and started working! I wanted to get an early start to my day since I was taking the afternoon off. (I don’t normally start working immediately, but sometimes I’ll log in, check emails, and get my to-do list situated before I start my morning routine.)

Today’s weather: It was stormy this morning but then cleared up for the rest of the day. The high was 92, bleh.

Something I spent money on today: $12 on a few essentials at Target – coffee creamer, eyeglass wipes, and cooking spray.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I spent three hours getting tested to see if I’m a candidate for LASIK. And spoiler alert: I totally am! Apparently, I have nice, thick corneas that will make traditional LASIK a breeze for me. (Or so I hope.) Now I just have to figure out how to afford it!

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): Just My Type by Falon Ballard, a very cute contemporary romance!

Last thing I read (on the Internet): Big Spaceship: Internet Brunch’s email for today. (It’s an e-newsletter that gives you some news and fun meme content.)

Last text I sent: “Let’s do that, if you’re okay coming to my side of the pond two days in a row.”

Last text I received: “Oh I like the low key night in!”

Last website I visited: Gmail.

Last show I watched: Brooklyn 99.

Last podcast I listened to: I just started listening to an older true crime podcast called “Beyond Bardstown: Lacombe” that released in the spring of 2021. It has a very intriguing premise! Here’s the summary for the first episode: “A house fire breaks out in the woods, and the wife of a local fire chief is nowhere to be found.”

Last thing I said: “Love youuu,” as I hung up with my mom on FaceTime.

Last thing I ate: Cookie dough flautas from Tijuana Flats. I couldn’t help myself.

What I was doing an hour ago: I was tidying up my apartment.

What I will be doing an hour from now: Hopefully I’ll be snuggled up in bed with a cat on each side of me.

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: I am sitting at the dining room table, typing up this post. Lila is in her pink kitty bed by the front door, sleeping. And Eloise is sitting on top of her “Feliner Diner” cat house and staring at me like a creep.

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: I got my LASIK consultation! I can mark that goal right off my list.

Snapshot of My Day is inspired by Torrie at To Love and To Learn

What were YOU doing an hour ago?

Categories: Recurring Series

Three Things Thursday (v. 11)

Three things that made me happy this week

1) Having Monday off – I’m really glad Juneteenth is now considered a federal holiday and that my company gives us the day off. (We don’t get all federal holidays off – only the big ones, like Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4th of July, etc.) It was super nice to stretch out my weekend with an extra day off.

2) Facetime calls with Mom – They’re always my favorite part of any day!

3) A gloomy, rainy Wednesday – I love these rainy days, especially working from home. I can be cozy at home and enjoy the rain and the dark thunderclouds.

Three podcast episodes I listened to yesterday

1) The Secrets of Hillsong on Good Christian Fun – This episode was so much different than their typical episodes, as it was just Kevin and Caroline and they had a really in-depth conversation about the Hillsong documentary and trauma in the church. I like that they came at this subject in such a respectful manner. (GCF is a comedy podcast so it’s usually all about jokes and giggles. I appreciate they didn’t try to make light of this documentary!)

2) Large Language Models and You on Stuff You Should Know – I was super excited about this episode that discussed AI and tools like ChatGPT. I loved the way Josh and Chuck explained how these tools came to be so smart. But the end of the episode about the future of AI and how it’s going to affect jobs was just so depressing.

3) The Wedding Singer Deep Dive on The Popcast – What a fun episode! I’ve never seen The Wedding Singer (can you believe it?) but I loved this fun deep dive with Knox and Jamie.

Three books I just added to my Goodreads TBR

1) Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa, based on a recommendation from the Currently Reading podcast

2) The Whispers by Ashley Audrain, another Currently Reading rec (Ashley Audrain is the author of The Push, which I didn’t love as much as others seemed to, but I’m willing to give her another shot)

3) The Love We Make by Harper Bliss – a friend I follow on Goodreads gave this romance 4 stars and I’m always looking for great f/f love stories so I want to give this one a try

Three things I want to do in Charleston

1) Take a ghost tour – The best ghost tour also functions as a history tour, as you get to experience the way the city looked and functioned many, many years ago.

2) Visit some indie bookstores – I will be right next door to Blue Bicycle Books and within walking distance to Buxton Books so I will try to temper my enthusiasm.

3) Visit a plantation – I have decided that my mom and I will visit a plantation in Charleston. After much research, I believe McLeod Plantation will be a good choice, a place that center the voices of enslaved people and their history, and doesn’t glorify the free white people. There are more popular plantations but one of the tips I saw when I was researching how to visit a plantation in a respectful way said to stay away from any plantation that offers up their space as a wedding venue. From what I’ve seen, McLeod Plantation doesn’t offer that (they don’t even have their own website), so it seems like the best option.

Three things I say to my cats every day

1) “Lila, are you my best friend?” Sometimes, she’ll answer me with her high-pitched meow that sounds like “YEAH.”

2) “There you are! I missed you!” Eloise is usually never far from my side but she needs her alone time once a day. (She usually hides under the quilt on my bed.) So when she reappears, I give her lots of attention.

3) “No, it’s too early for yum-yums.” Yum-yums are what we call treats and it never fails that they think they’ll get their first portion at 9:30 am. No ma’aams!

Three recent Amazon purchases

1) This shirt that I will wear this weekend at the Pride Street Festival ($19)

2) This anti-scratch tape that I hope will deter Eloise from scratching up my new bed, which she seems to believe is just the largest scratching post ever ($14)

3) This headband organizer that will finally allow me to display my headbands in a pleasing way ($12)

Three shows I’m watching next

1) Queen Charlotte – I have heard so many rave reviews about this Bridgerton series, but I haven’t sat down to give it a watch yet. Sometimes, the anticipation is half the fun, right?! I’m planning on starting it soon, though.

2) Ted Lasso, season 3 – Once I finish Queen Charlotte, I’ll finally re-download AppleTV so I can watch the final season of Ted Lasso. I’ve heard mixed reviews, so my expectations are definitely a bit lower going in.

3) Daisy Jones & the Six – I can’t believe I haven’t watched this show yet. I loved the book and was super excited about the show, but the resulting buzz has been a bit lackluster. I want to at least give it a shot!

Three movies I’ve seen more than 10 times

1) The Princess Diaries – The summer after 8th grade, I watched this movie every. single. day.

2) Clueless – It’s a cult classic! The perfect movie to watch on a girls’ night in.

3) Tommy Boy – Growing up, this was my brother’s and my favorite movie. We still quote it incessantly!

Three apps I used the most yesterday

1) Happy Color (2 hours)

2) Overcast (54 min)

3) Messages (36 min)

Three plans I have this weekend

1) Record the final episode of season 5 – We just released our first episode of the season, which is all about travel. It has been a lot of fun to reminisce about travel experiences this season.

2) Attend the St. Pete Pride Parade – This will be an all-day event and I am trying to prepare myself for a big day. It’s my first-ever Pride parade and I’m really looking forward to it!

3) Attend the St. Pete Pride street festival – This is an event that my girlfriend’s whole family loves attending, so I’ll be going with them. I’m very curious to see what it’s all about!

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 54)

The high of my week was doing an art class with my mom! We were the only people in the studio at the time, so we got to have one-on-one attention, which is MUCH NEEDED for us. We are not artsy people in the least. My mom made a large porch sign and I made a lazy Susan, which I’m going to put on my dining room table. Since the designs were painted on using stencils, it was basically foolproof for the two of us. I’m really happy with the way my piece turned out, and I can’t wait to go back and paint something else.

The low of my week was still dealing with my scalp psoriasis issue. And honestly, it’s my own fault because I’m not using the treatment as much as I should. It’s a liquid treatment, which makes for a very messy process when I have to rub it on my scalp. The liquid drips down my neck and chest. (I tried applying the liquid with my head upside down but then the liquid GOT IN MY EYES. So that’s a no-go.) Plus, after I put it on, my scalp and neck tingle for a good hour, which is so unpleasant. It makes my hair oily and my skin tingle. Can you see why I conveniently forget to put it on regularly? Maybe it’s time to call my derm to see if she can prescribe something else that I may be more apt to use regularly. Hmm.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was booking things for our Charleston trip! I planned out our itinerary a month or so ago and booked a few dinner reservations, but hadn’t done anything since then. This week, I booked a few tours and a brunch reservation so things are coming along! We leave in a few weeks, yay!

I’m currently reading three books! On audio, I’m listening to Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close. I’m nearly halfway done and very much enjoying it. In print, I’m reading Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo. This was my pick for our June book club, so I hope everyone enjoys it! And on my Kindle, I’ve got a historical romance going: A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Games We Love, Hate, and Made Up on The Girl Next Door Podcast. There are a lot of topics that Kelsey and Erica cover that I can’t relate to as a childless person. This one was right up my alley, as someone who loves a good game night and does a lot of game nights with kids (my nephews). My favorite part of the episode was when they talked about what can be, ahem, challenging about playing games with kids and Kelsey’s immediate response was how kids never seem to know when it’s their turn. OMG! Speaking right to my soul there. The amount of times I have to say, “It’s your turn” to one of my nephews (and honestly, sometimes to my brother or my mom) during a single game night is too many to count. It drives me crazy because I’m all about moving the game along at a regular pace, and kids are not about that life.

The best money I spent this week was on a new nightgown. I love wearing nightgowns these days. They are just so comfortable to wear around the house! I only had two, though, and one of them is getting a little worn out so it was most definitely time for an upgrade. I bought this one off Amazon and it is so very comfortable! (Runs big, so size down.)

My plans this weekend include a lot of fun things! Today and tomorrow will be my busy days, as I am going to my girlfriend’s house for game night with her friends. There will be nine people in total so it will be a big group, but hopefully a good time. I’m going to stay over Friday and we’ll have a lazy morning. In the afternoon, we’ll head to The Cheesecake Factory to have lunch with her parents and her younger brother, all of whom I’ll be meeting for the first time. Eeks! The rest of my weekend will be spent recharging my batteries. I do not have any plans on Saturday evening, Sunday, or Monday, and I plan on keeping it that way!

What was the best money you spent this week?